- Date
- September 4, 1995, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N912JWWelles Kitfox Speedster
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950904027789A
- Case key
- 29209
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said the aircraft was about 300 feet into the takeoff ground roll on runway 29 when he lost directional control. The aircraft veered left off the runway and ground looped in the dirt, damaging a wing.
Factual narrative
On September 4, 1995, at 0900 Pacific daylight time, a Welles Kitfox Speedster homebuilt airplane, N912JW, ground looped following a loss of directional control on takeoff at San Luis Obispo, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and included calm wind conditions. No flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident as a local area personal flight.
According to the pilot's written statement, the aircraft was about 300 feet into the takeoff ground roll on runway 29 when he lost directional control. The aircraft veered left off the runway and ground looped in the dirt, damaging a wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N912JW
- Reported as
- Welles Kitfox Speedster (KITFOX SPE)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- BCS104
- Airframe hours
- 33
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 82 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey B. Welles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1995 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- SBP
- Airport
- SBP · San Luis Obsipo, runway 29, 4,799 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 210 total · 1 in this make and model · 145 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.